Hello dear readers and fellow bloggers! On this blog, I wear many hats. Today, I'm putting my ' book reviewer' hat back on. In this post, I'll review two fantasy books, one of them being a novel and the other comic book. As the title indicates, the books are : Dragonflight, written by Anne McCaffrey and The Quest for the Time Bird (in original La Quête de l'oiseau du temps ) written by Sergej Le Tendre and drawn by R. Loisel.
Let us start with Dragonflight, shall we? Afterall, this is not my first meeting with Anne McCaffrey. I had already read one of her works, Dolphins of Pern and reviewed it on my blog. Interestingly, I was also living on island Hvar when I reviewed Dolphins of Pern (six years ago!). Life brought me back to island Hvar and back to this dragon fantasy series. Anne McCaffrey is an American author of Irish descent, best known for her Dragonriders of Pern series. Both of her novels that I read belong to this beloved fantasy series. I found a vintage copy of this book in the house I was renting at the time and I read it there. Thinking about it now, this traditional stone three store house was the perfect location for reading this novel. I felt like I was in some ancient tower myself, just waiting for my dragon ride to arrive.
Before I start my review in earnest, I must admit that I had somewhat mixed feelings about this novel. I still do. I find it problematic in many ways, but at the same I'm very impressed by its creative power. Upon starting Dragonflight, I was immediately drawn back into the Pern world. The world-building is really exquisite, and I definitely understand the hype behind this fantasy series. In many ways, Dragonriders of Pern series deserves the hype. Still, upon finishing the novel some things did not sit right. In fact, I have had mixed feelings about it ever since I finished it. When I went to check my older review, I found that what I liked and disliked about Dolphins of Pern was very similar. So, at least Anne is consistent in her style. Doing some research later on, I found that those aspects of the book that I did not like were also controversial. I can certainly understand why. I will explain what I liked and disliked in more detail later on. Let me guide you through the novel first, and we'll leave the summer and conclusion for the end. In the other words, we'll start with the positives.
Dragonflight is where it all starts!
Anna McCaffrey becomes the first woman to win the Hugo and Nebula award.
Dragonflight is as you might imagine about dragons. In fact, this is the first novel in the series. It was not originally written as a novel, rather as a novellas published in Analog, a SF magazine. The novel was actually made by combining two previously published and awarded novellas into a single book- thus making a new novel. This is actually not uncommon, especially for science fiction writers. Many writers I mentioned on my blog published short stories or novellas in science fiction and fantasy magazines, only to combine them into a single novel.
I must say when I was reading it, I could fell the difference between these two novellas. The first novella published was titled "Weyr Search" and it is basically the first part of this novel that describes the search for female dragonrider, while the second novella "Dragonrider" was published in two parts and it sees the story develop. Apparently, Anne McCaggrey got some ideas from the Analog editor John W. Campbell and this shaped the third story she wrote "Crack Dust, Black Dust". Anyhow, all of that ended up being combined in the first novel in the series. Anne wins the Nebula award for the novel and Hugo award from the novella "Weyr Search".
As I already said, I felt immediately drawn into this story. The Introduction (that serves as a sort of explanation of the fantasy world) had me intrigued, but as I started reading I felt really immersed in this fantasy setting. When I came across some terms (world building words) such as for example The Thread I couldn't understand in Introduction, I immediately googled them. I couldn't wait to dive into this world. The Introduction starts with questions that sound philosophical:
'When is a legend legend? When is a myth myth? How old and disused must a fact be for it to be relegated to the category "Fairy-take"? "
However, these philosophical questions start to make perfect sense once you understand what they are about. The writer is not starting an essay, but explaining the world she is about to lead the reader in. You see, this novel is set in the future, on a planet named Pern. Humans have colonized this planet a long time ago. However, these colonized planets have lost contact with other humans, so they are for all purposes- a completely independent society. In fact, this story could have been set in some medieval fantasy world. Still, I found this science fiction element of 'civilization lost' interesting and I think it enriches the story. It makes us more connected with it. It makes us wonder whether not in the future, it could be us.
My introduction to this novel is proving quite long, but it is kind of important to go through it before getting to reviewing the book itself. Anyhow, these colonizers from Earth settled on Pern but instead of Paradise, they found something more like Hell. It all has to do with mysterious Threads that fall from the sky and burns everything in sight. When Thread contacts any kind of organic materials, it burns it instantly. Obviously, this makes agriculture an impossible feat. How to survive and not starve when Thread falls from the sky and cause fire on impact? I'll get into more detail later, this is basically the Introduction to the novel. From here, we go on to the story of revenge. A tale as old as time. A young woman is robbed of her birthright and lives in hope of revenging her murdered family. The start of the novel is dark and gloomy but also incredibly convincing. To say that the series starts strong would almost be an understatement. There really is a lot of power in McCaffrey's writing.
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| When is a legend legend? When is a myth myth? |
Let us get back to Introduction, for the events pivotal for understanding this novel (and the whole series) start before the novel (and the plot) itself. We need to understand the arrival of the colonist and how the dragons came to be. Obviously, dragons are a big part of this novel. Back when this novel was published (in 1968), more than half a century ago, the theme of dragons was not as common in fantasy as it is today. Anne McCaffrey did not want to do the typical dragon story. In her version, dragons are actually friendly to humans, and especially bonded to their riders. In this way, Anne reverses the traditional negative role of dragons in European mythology. This dragon riding stuff probably makes you think of George R.R. Martin, whose A Song of Ice and Fire saga is perhaps the best known current representation of dragon and human bonding in modern fantasy. Well, before there was George R.R. Martin's take on dragons, there was Anna McCaffrey. Their fantasy words, although both medieval in culture and civilisation, are also quite different.
As you can see, Ann McCaffrey allied her Pern series more with science fiction, by making her Pern planet colonized by human settlers. The dragon themselves are created with the help of genetic engineering, gene manipulation, not with magic. The planet of Pern develops its own culture that resembles medieval, but there is not as much mythology and magic in it as there is in Martin's fantasy Ice and Fire world. The story of settlement of Pern is a rather brutal one, and there is this feeling of brutality one associates with medieval times, especially when it comes to politics and the way the common people get treated. However, there is a feeling of both freshness and oldness to Pern. When the novel opens, Pern is already an old society in some ways. Still, it is not as old as it could be. There is this feeling of colonization, a distant echo of technology the dragons are another direct proof of. Pern is a dangerous planet, but there is still some novelty about it. In that sense, it does not feel like a typical medieval inspired fantasy novel.
Dragonflight, this first novel in the series is set in this precarious world. The human colonists had come ready to adapt to a simple farming life. However, the burning Thread made a simple agrarian impossible, as you can't have agriculture of any sort with the occurrence of regular unstoppable treat. The Pern inhabitants did not retrieve into a castle and die there, though. That would not be a very good story, would it? Instead giving up, the Pern humans fought the treat and adapted to the planet with the help of the planet itself. They survived because they allied themselves with a special animal.
When the humans originally arrived on Pern, there were no dragons, only a sort of lizard with mild psychic capabilities. The Pern colonized recognized the potential in fire-lizard, finding an ally in them. This fire-lizard was made genetically to grow bigger and smarter. By harnessing the abilities of these fire-lizard, the colonist found a way to survive. They eventually turned fire-lizards into fire fighting flying dragons. Together (human and dragon) learned how to fight the Thread. When the humans learnt to fly these Pern dragons they helped create, they found an ally that enabled them to regularly destroyed the Thread in the skies over Pern. The problem with Thread wasn't just that in burned on impact, it also spread and it was impossible to stop. It was basically a living thing, like a virus or a parasite, able to burrow into the land and spread. With the help of dragons and dragon riders, the civilization could start because they could keep the Thread at bay. Humans could start calling Pern home. Dragons and dragonriders were the saviours, both highly valued and respected by everyone. Consequently, a new prosperous human society spread across Pern's northern continent and things started to look good.
This brings us back to myths and fairy-tales. A weird thing happens and that is that the Thread stops falling. Isn't this a good thing? Well, it is not. Can you imagine why? Because some (many) stop believing in Thread. So, they see no need to support the dragons and dragonsriders. When the novel starts, the general population has pretty much stopped believe in Thread altogether. For them, the Thread becomes just a fairy-tale. Dragonriders are not as respected as they used to be, and when some respect is given to them, it is only because of the tradition. Nobody sees them as people worth respecting anymore.
Why is this a problem? Well, dragons need to be fed. So, the dragonriders. When the Thread was falling, everyone was only too happy to feed their saviours. Now, those in power (and the general population) stop sending food to the dragonriders and dragons. This lack of support for Weyrs where dragons were bred and trained potentially means the end of dragons and their riders. At the start of the novel only one Weyrs remains, and the number of dragons is dangerously low. The dragons could go extinct and perish, and the dragonriders might be no more. Of course, this would also mean that the world itself will perish- when the Thread falls. If the world of Pern is to survive, they need their dragons.
Dragonflight is not surprisingly- all about dragons. It is our introduction to this dragon world. I loved the way this novel portrayed the connection between dragons and dragon riders. This process basically starts with the birth of dragons and lasts until their death. Dragons form long telepathic connections with their dragon riders. The process of forming this bond is called Impression in the novel and the series. By tradition, young humans who have emphatic and/or telepathic capabilities or talents are taken to the hatching ground. There they bound with humans, basically choosing the one they will imprint on. Not all dragons are the same, there are different in shape, size, colour, temperament and abilities. Anna McCaffrey really put some thought into creating this world.
How does the novel actually start? We're getting to that. Dragonflight has one of the strongest and best openings in science fiction of all times. I mentioned that it starts with a tale of revenge. While the narration is written in the third person, it focuses on some people more than others. Mostly, the narrative focuses on the novel's protagonists: Lessa and F'lar. It can be argued that Lessa is the real protagonist of the novel, and she is certainly the novel's heroine. F'lar also plays an important role, but Lessa is at the center. Who is she? The only surviving member of a noble ruling family, hiding in plain sight as a servant. Her family were the rulers of Ruatha Hold on the northern continent of Pern. What happened to them? They were killed by Fax, who is a cruel ruler and just a typically villain. Fax seemed a bit cardboard villain at times, but on the other hand some evil people are just that predictable, so I did not mind that.
I found myself immediately warming up to Lessa. She is brave, proud, relentless and strong. However, she is also incredibly isolated and alone. Lessa's family is gone, and she lives a bittersweet or maybe just bitter life in her ancient home. Lessa uses what skill, power and strength she has to bring ruin on her ancestral home. Lessa does it to make Fax abandon it. Lessa would rather her home is reduced to ruins, then to see Fax stealing from it. Pretending she is a servant, Lessa lives a miserable existence. She manages to disguise herself as a drudge by dressing in rags (not that she has anything else) and using her telepathic abilities to mask her youth. Thus Lessa appears to be an old women.
Lessa's life is one of extreme loneliness, depression and dread. However, Lessa does have one friend. Her only friend is a lizard of sorts, the kind of lizard that dragons originated from. They are named watch-wher, and although not nearly as smart as dragons, they have some telepathic abilities. This watch-wher is bonded with Lessa, as it can sense her royal blood. This telepathic that guards the Hold is Lessa's only companion and found the moments they spent together very touching. To Lessa this animal is something between a friend and a pet. Their connection is genuine and touching.
Lessa does not have a connection to anyone else. Although she uses what power she has to influence others and scheme against Fax, she does not exactly take confidents in doing so. Lessa does not connect to anybody, but rather she uses other people. Her power is considerable at times, as Lessa can psychically control or influence other Hold inhabitants. It is suggested Lessa influences workers to slack and not do their job well. Lessa watches her powers bear fruit, but it must be bittersweet, as she is using her powers to bring ruin to her ancestral home. It is all part of her strategy to get rid of Fax and rule in her rightful place, but still it must be hard for her. Anyhow, that is how we meet Lessa. She is described sneaking off to spent some time with watch-wher in a freezing morning cold, when she feels a sense of supreme dreed. As readers, we will learn what that was about halfway into the novel.
What happens next is that F'lar arrives with his entourage searching for female candidates for their new queen dragon. F'lar is wingleader at Benden Weyr, the only remaining Weyr. He is characterized as brave and decisive, early one. The kind of hero who gets things done. It is also obvious that his man respect him. He is not received exactly warmly by Fax, but still he stays in Fax's home as his search is extremely important. This is also the first instance we see of a dragon and human bond. F'lar is a rider of the bronze dragon Mnementh. As F'lar communicates with Mnementh telepathically, it is obvious they share such a strong and powerful connection.
Besides giving us insight into F'lar, the wingleader, the writer Anne McCaffrey gives us information about this medieval society. It is a society where marriage is often a business contract of sorts or a way to build alliances. We can also see the loss of support for dragonriders. Fax is not afraid to show his distain towards F'lar, although he does not go so far as to deny him hospitality for that would be a grave sin against tradition.
Fax has a queen that he does not love, preferring younger mistresses. As I said, Fax is a typical villain. This tender, tactful, polite and noble woman impresses F'lar greatly. I forgot her name, but she was a impressive character. During that evening and dinner that will prove faithful, Fax's wife showed a great presence of mind. Fax's marriage to his wife was a political one, and his wife really can't stand him but she obeys him for she must. F'lar sees her power and wisdom, and regrets that she is not younger for she would make an excellent candidate. F'lar also senses another strong female presence, but he cannot figure out who it is right away. I liked this part of the novel because Lessa's power is presented as strong as raw. I thought it made for an interesting contrast with her seemingly powerless situation. Lessa, of course, does not want dragon riders to be aware of her, all she is interested in ruling her ancient home.
So, Lessa hides in plain sight, using her psychic powers to mask her outwardly appearance and appear old. Sensing animosity between Fax and F'lar, Lessa uses her mind controlling powers to set one man onto another. Lessa's plan is to have Fax killed and rule in his place. The heavily pregnant queen tries to intervene, but ultimately Fax and F'lar fight one another on Lessa's command.
This is all the very start of the novel, but still I want to avoid spoilers as much as possible. I mean if you are interesting in the plot, you can find it online. So, I will not reveal what eventually happens and how this conflict is resolved. I will also not reveal how it is that Lessa eventually ends up in Weyr, but she obviously does. I do not think that's much of a spoiler. Anyhow, up to now everything was really brilliant as far as writing goes. Now, there are some problems.
Once Lessa is actually in Weyr, we do not get a clear understanding of how much time she actually spends there before something important happens. A lot of time is packed in a page or two, and I actually had to go back and reread those pages to try to figure things out. So, the pacing really isn't ideal. This is also something I noticed in the other Pern novel I read. Sometimes a lot of time passes without hardly anything happening, and sometimes a page is so packed with events, one has to go back to read it and make sense of it. Having finished the novel, I don't mind the sometimes clumsy pacing. However, while I was reading Dragonflight, I couldn't help noticing it- if you know what I mean.
As the book progresses, the worldbuilding gets more impressive. This is the part of the book that I really love. The connection between the dragonriders and dragons is touching. It is described with a lot of care and emotion. As a reader, you really get to feel what kind of strong emotional connection could this telepathic connection provide. If you understand that this novel was published in 1968, you can see how ahead of its time it was. In many ways, it is progressive. McCaffrey went on to write many more novels in this series, but this one is the first one! The worldbuilding really put a high standard for the rest of the series.
Now, when it comes to the plot, I really enjoy it. There is one aspect of the plot that some do not like because they feel like it is a bit too convenient or 'deux et machina' way of fixing things. Basically, 'deux et machina' is a plot device where the conflict or the problem is solved in an unlikely or unrealistic way. This terms steams from ancient Greek and Roman drama, where it was often employed. Now, the plot twist that McCaffrey uses is somewhat of a paradox. It is actually commonly used in science fiction. I do not want to reveal what it was because I do not want spoilers, but I thought it was used brilliantly.
Now, moving onto things I did not like. Initially, I liked both Lessa and F'nor a lot. They are strong and decisive individuals. Both of them are dragonriders, both set on saving the world. However, something happens to Lessa as she arrives to Wyrl. She turns into this weirdly afraid young woman who does not stand up to F'nor even when he mistreats her. Instead, Lessa finds excuses for him. Both of their characters stopped making sense early on, and it is such a shame. The plot still works fine, their actions are written well, but they as characters are not loveable, and sometimes not even likeable. Understandingly, having protagonists that you have issues with takes away from the joy of the reading.
So, long story shorts I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the plot, but couldn't understand the portrayal of the protagonists. Lessa and F'nor are supposed to be one's another love interest, but their relationship is toxic. It is not the tale old enemies to lovers, it's just weird. Lessa starts like this amazingly strong almost ruthless female protagonist, but then she seemingly turns into a doormat for F'nor. I tried to rationalize it-and to be fair enough some explanations can be find. It might be that Lessa appeared so strong at the start of the novel because she did not have anything to lose and was ready to die trying to win back her throne. Now, Lessa finds herself on a new throne and she has to learn to navigate the politics of dragon riding world. It is a frightening change for sure and it makes sense that Lessa needs time to adapt. Moreover, when she gets her dragon, Lessa simply falls in love with her. In a way, I had a feeling like Lessa was the mother to her queen dragon. Lessa would do anything to protect her dragon, so she is really to be endure abuse. Still, the relationship of F'nor does not make sense. F'nor starts as a honorable man, and then suddenly he is abusive towards Lessa, who is politically his ally. Sure, they have their differences but Lessa and F'nor are basically on the same side. So, why he always yells on her and stuff really does not make sense.
“Look around you, Lessa of Pern, look around the Weyr with unveiled eyes. Old and hallowed is the Weyr? Yes, but shabby and worn – and disregarded. Yes, you were elated to sit in the Weyrwoman’s great chair at the Council Table, but the padding is thin and the fabric dusty. Humbled to think your hands rest where Moreta’s and Torene’s had rested? Well, the stone is ingrained with dirt and needs a good scrubbing. And your rump may rest where theirs did – but that’s not where you have your brains.”
Dragonflight
Seeing that Lessa excuses F'nor, makes it even worse. Just when you think it cannot get worse, it does. There are literal scenes when F'nor chokes her. What kind of writing is that? This is not supposed to be 'that' kind of novel. I'm surprised some of the things passed by the editors. What is worse, this is a book that was widely read by children. I do not how the writer could have not seen how problematic some scenes she wrote were. You could try and excuse it with the medieval society, but you also cannot. There is a literal scene in the book where everyone present ( in this 'medieval' society) is horrified when F'nor is abusive towards Lessa, so it does not seem like something that was very common. I mean abuse always existed, but public abuse like that was not common, at least not of a politically powerful figure that Lessa by definition was.
How did this fly over the editors? How it was not censored? It is isn't like this novel was published a couple of centuries ago. There are also some weird ideas in the book, some things that even McCaffrey fans dislike, but I won't get into that. It was mostly the F'nor abusiveness to Lessa that put me off. That's the problematic and controversial part of the book I wanted to talk about. I do believe it is controversial for a reason. I did some research on it, and many people reades picked up on it. Some were more critical than others, but most readers did not like it. Some fans of this series tried to excuse Anne mcCaffrey by assuming that she herself was in an abusive relationship and this was her writing was a form of therapy for her, but that is neither here nor there.
If something this problematic is in the book, it could be a potential problem for many readers. Sure, some readers might not even notice it, but having very much noticed it, I was really put off by it. Furthermore, Lessa grows less likeable as the time passes on. There isn't a single other female character she has anything nice to say about. She's definitely not a girls girl. While Lessa is definitely the hero in her story and I loved that aspect of the story, I loved when she got her courage back, at the same time I couldn't connect with her as a character. When I checked by other Pern book review, I saw that I also had a similar issue with the characters, so there is that.
What is the conclusion? I'm not sure I'll pick up another book from the Dragonriders of Pern series. I might give her series another try, but I also might not. That being said, I understand why Dragonflight is a cult classic. It is a great novel, albeit not without its flaws. Would I recommend it? I honestly don't know what to say. I would give a vary recommendation. On one hand, Dragonflight is really a wonderful blending of science fiction and fantasy, an unique story with a great plot and convincing world plotting. On the other hand, the main characters were not that likeable (mostly because the writer seems to have a weird abuse fetish or something). Make of that what you will. I'm glad I read this novel, but I'm also not convinced I'll read more from Anne McCaffrey.
Moving onto the review number two, and that is the comic book The Quest for the Time-Bird by Le Tendre & Loisel. I did not have mixed feelings about this one. I liked it and there is that. This one is also a cult classic series with many followers. In fact, it is still being published. So, what kind of comic book it is?
La Quête de l'oiseau du temps (The Quest for the
Time-Bird) is a French language fantasy adventure comic series written by Serge Le Tendre and originally drawn by Régis Loisel. There were some other illustrator artists involved later on (as it is still being published) but this particular book is drawn by Loisel, as it is evident from the title.
Wait, Ivana! This book is in French. What about those of us who don’t read French. Fear not, for according to the internet this Time-Bird series has been translated into several languages, including Croatian, English, Spanish, German, Danish, Dutch, Swedish, Polish, Czech and Serbian. Who knows maybe there are even more translations, but these are what I found. The copy I personally read is in Croatian. This Croatian edition is really beautiful. It is such a nice edition, too. I took many photographs so you can clearly see the quality of the paper, the A3 format and hardcover. It is the kind of hardcover comic book you want to purchase and keep in your home. I almost did not want to return it to the library when the time came to do so.
All in all, this comic book was such a pleasant surprise! I’m
not sure who I picked it up in Jelsa’s library, that is, whether it was my significant
other and me. On second thought, I think it was him. However, I ended up
reading it, too. I found this comic book to be both funny and entertaining. At times, it is also quite deep. In many ways, it is a fun adventure story, beautifully drawn and with funny dialogues. However, it is also something more. The kind of book that makes you think.
What is real? What is the nature of reality? Do we shape it? Do our feelings shape it? If we deeply care for something, does it not become real in some sense of the world? If we believe in something and base our actions on it, does it become real for us? Are lessons learnt just as worth if they are a consequence of some simulation? I have many questions as you can see! That is always a good sign.
What would one expect from a fantasy comic book when it comes to plot? I
would say the same one would expect from a fantasy novel. There will be some kind of quest and
adventure. There will be fantasy heroes. Now, they can be morally grey or not,
but heroes there will be. The story will be set in an imaginary world. Now,
there can be more or less detailed world-building, but world-building there
will be. Finally, one can expect some supernatural elements, magic and so on.
There will be some danger and intrigue.
So, how does this comic book start?
Well, as one could expect it starts with a crisis of sorts, as the world
is in peril. The fantasy world in question is Akbar. We do not learn all about
this peril at once, rather we learn more and more as the comic book progresses.
What I liked right from the start were two things: the art and the
writing. The art style is beautiful. I was not familiar with this French artist
before, but he is absolutely amazing. Furthermore, the writing flows so
naturally. The writing is often funny.
So, as you can see, I immediately warmed up to this comic. The heroes
caught my heart right from the start, especially Bragon, the old warrior. As the adventure enfolds, new characters are added. Our hero Bragon comes across kings, soldiers, and all sorts of creatures and animals, some magical and many of them quite strange. Bragon also comes across one old enemy and finds that old enemies make good friends, but I'm getting ahead of myself here.
What is this bird of time and what does it have to do with the fact that
the world of Akbar is in serious peril?
We will get to that. First some
mythology. The background of this story. Gods, magic, that sort of things. The
eternal battle between the good and the bad. It seems that there was a god, and
not the good kind. A long time ago, an evil god named Ramor, rebelled against
his other gods. Ramon wanted all the power for himself. Typical villain stuff,
right? Ramor did not win, thought but he lost. After he was defeated, the other
gods imprisoned Ramor inside a conch and that was supposed to be the end, but
of course it wasn’t, because a story needs a good villain.
The magic does not come with indefinite guarantee. It seems that the
magic has weakened over ages that have passed. So, long term story, now there
is a danger that the imprisoned evil god Ramon will escape into the world again
and cause serious trouble for everyone- or more likely the end of the world.
There is some hope, as it seems that one mage is fighting to stop Ramar.
To do this, she sends her daughter to enlist help from our noble heroes and
bring the bird of time. The mage Mara claims she has a way to prevent the god's
resurrection but she needs help. Mara states
that she can keep Raman to his prison, but she cannot do it alone as she must
remain focused on her magic at all times. Therefore, Mara asks her daughter Pelisse
to pay a visit to Mara’s old warrior lover, Bragon to ask for help on her quest
to bring Time-Bird. It seems that in order to prevail over the evil god Mara needs
the Time-Bird, essentially a legendary magical/ mythical beast that can (as the
name suggest) control the flow of time.
Will the now gray hair and old Bragon set on a last quest to save the
world of Akbar? Of course he will, for what kind of adventure would it be if he
didn’t. I must say that I liked Bragon from the start. Pellise, the daughter of
the sorcerer princess Mara is a fantastic character as well. Bragon notices
that she resembles her strong mother in many ways, including Mara's stubborn character.
Bragon will also notice that Pellise resembles him. She is somewhat of a warrior himself. Is Pellise really his daughter? That question remains open for some time. As time passes, it is clear that Bragon starts thinking of Pellise as his daughter. It is also hard not to notice that she resembles him in character. Who is Bragon really? We know that he is a warior and we can conclude that he has had an eventful life. At the start of the comic, it seems that he has retired. We can assume that once he was quite a traveller. This is evident once he sets on the quest again, as many people from different kingdoms and reals recognize him on sight.
This grey haired axe-wielding knight is an interesting character. We learn that he was born a farmer, but became a warrior. Upon encountering Javin, he began his extensive traveling. We learnt that there was presumabily one great love in his life, Sorcerer-Princess Mara. In this comic book that is the beginning of the original series, we find a retired or semi- retired Bragon. At any rate, Bragon is all alone on his estate until Mara sends her (and possibly Bragon's ) daughter to ask him to join their fight against the evil god.
Bragon initially get frustrated with Pelisse, as she is quite stubborn. It does not take long for Bragon to warm up to Pelisse, though. The are much alike, both strong, brave and stubborn. Is it the case of blood runs thicker than water remains to be seen.
Pelisse was an interesting character as well. She carried at all time a blue animal on her shoulder. Furry (Le Fourreux) is his name, and Pelisse gets extremely anxious when she is separated from him. As the story progresses, we come to a shocking discovery about Furry's true nature. I liked both him and Pelisse. They are drawn so well.
Not all characters are heroes. Some of them are there for comic relief. One of those characters is known as Stranger and he wears a mask of all times because he does not want Pelisse and Bragon discovering who he really is. In reality he is one of farm employers who falls for Pelisse and somehow gets involved in the quest. He is quite a coward, but somehow he manages to survive many dangerous situations.
Bragon and Pelisse come across another peculiar mask wearing character- Bulrog. This one is the former student of our knight Bragon. He wears a mask to hide his scarred face. Bulrog starts the story as an enemy of Bragon and swears revenge after Bragon kills his employer. However, later events lead them to work together again. Bulrog is a side character but he is no comic relief. His destiny ends up being tragic but also profound. Bulrog stops being a mercenary, killing machine. devoting himself to greater things.
There are too many characters in this comic book to name. Some end up being killed, such as for example Bulrog's former employer the king Shan-Tung, and some live on.
One character that stayed with me is Riga. He appears a bit later in this comic book, but he left quite an impact as there seems to be something very poetical in his views on honour. Even if Riga is a hunter, and one that hunts both people and monsters, he has a very strict sense of honour. In general, this comic book is really masterful in portraying different realms with different cultures. It is clear that it is not just one world. Some of the inhabitants of these realms are humanoid, but clearly not human in the sense we think of it. Some are very alien looking. Riga falls somewhere in between. He and Bragon go way back it could be said.
When Bragon comes onto his territory, not of his free will but because the quest demands it, all of their lives are in danger even if once Bragon was a student of Riga. This ritual hunter is devoted to his hunts. From what I understood he belongs to some hunt obsessed culture, hunting is basically the purpse of their life. Now an old man looking for honorable death in battle, that is, hunting, Riga was once a young man who was at fault for his master's death during a hunt. As Riga was a legend, many tried to either kills him or beg him to take them as their students. In the end, Riga accepted Bragon as only student. That does not mean that Bragon will be speared now that he had ventured into Riga's territory. Riga starts the hunt that Bragon cannot avoid. The cat and mouse game begins and it is either kill or be killed. Still, both men adhere to a strict code of honour.
This book is composed of 4 different episodes/ publications, all continuing the same story, though. So, it is basically a compilation of four comic books.
1) Ramor's Conch
(In French- La Conque de Ramor)
Published in 1983. This is basically the introduction to the story. It sees Bragon start his quest for the Time-Bird with his possible daughter Pelisse in an effort to bring it to Mara who will use it to save the world. Bragon confronts an evil king in this one, earning the animosity of his former student. There is also the Stranger, a character that is there only for comic relief. This is a well written book. Pelisse and Bragon are not initially on the best of terms, but by the end of this one it seems obvious that Bragon starts to believe that Pelisse is his daughter.
2) The Temple of Oblivion
( In original language: Le Temple de l'oubli)
Published in 1984, a year before I was born, this book (or episode if you will) is quite eventful and action packed. Our heroes face the terrible temple of oblivion where they might lose both their memories and their mind.
3) The Rige
(Le Rige)
Published in 1985, The Rige was one of my favourites. It is beautifully drawn and coloured, with lots of gorgeous blue tones. It conveys a real sense of danger. I was impressed by the sense of honour both Riga and our hero knight displayed. I found it to be sad, but poetic.
4) The Egg of Darkness (L'Œuf des ténèbres)
I don't want to say much about this one because I want to avoid the spoilers, but I will say that it had a crazy plot twist that caught me by surprise. Such a beautiful if sad ending to the series. Of course the series continues in prequels and so on, but this is the original story: La Quête.
So, that's about it for today! I managed to write two long book review blog reviews, so not bad! One is of famous Pern series, the other for the cult French comic book series, so have your pick. Both of them come with my recommendation, albeit a bit of a vary one for the Pern series. Of course, both of them are not suitable for younger audiences. I don't know why Dragonriders of Pern was ever considered young adult. Browsing Internet, I saw that it was recommended to very young readers- and that is definitely a big no. Trust me on that one.
Now, when it comes to The Quest for the Time-Bird by Le Tendre & Loisel, that one is also not for kids. It's a tragicomedy wrapped in a fantasy adventure. It is not exactly extremely graphic in terms of violence or anything, as far as comic books go, but there is violence, fights and deaths depicted. Definitely, it is a comic book aimed more for an adult readers. I mean if you look at the cover and see or ginger Pelisse barely clothed, you get the gist. Pelisse attractiveness is the cause of a lot of humour in this book. The comic book itself is not erotic, despite what the cover might suggest. Rather, it is more comical in tone. At the same time, this comic book has some serious moments. I quite liked that mix of tragedy and comedy. I'm glad I read both of these books, honestly.
I think this is the first time I actually reviewed a comic book on my blog. I don't know why I waited this long. I suppose I focused more on reviewing classical or modern literature. I reviewed non fiction books, but this is my first comic book review.
While I definitely read more classical books than comic books, I do read comics. In fact, I've been reading comics since I was a kid. I grew up reading the Italian comic books classics such as Alan Ford, Dylan Dog and Zagor. I also enjoyed a number of Croatian comics that used to be published in various Croatian magazines I read as a kid, for example Modra lasta. Croatian illustrator Krešimir Zimonić practically marked my childhood. His comic book interpretation of Croatian fairytales by Ivana Brlić Mažuranić is engraved in my brain forever. Croatian illustration Igor Kudelj also had a profound influence on me. Among other things, Igor Kudelj illustrated the most gorgeous Lord of the Kings cover ever. I adore his style of illustration. These two definitely marked my art style. I can still see their influences in my own illustrating work. Of course, I'm more a painter than an illustration, but I do illustratio sometimes (as the regular readers of my blog well know).
As a kid I mostly read Italian and Croatian comics. I read some Marvel as well, but never got really into it. I also read some French ones, and in general I always admire the French illustrating style. I'm not exactly an expert on the topic. Still, seeing that I know something about writing and something about illustrating, I believe I'm able to write a decent comic book review. Who knows? Maybe I'll start reviewing comic books regularly on my blog. What do you guys think?
I shared two outfits today, both of them featuring the same grey dress (from New Yorker I think). I finally got to thirty documented wears with this dress. I don't have anything particularly interesting to write about this outfits, expect that I shopped my closets for them, sustainable fashion and all that. This is one practical dress, easy to style. I styled it in two different but similar ways here. Once I paired it with a black coat, another time with a black puffer jacket. Both times with leggings. Once with sneakers and once with boots. No brainer kind of outfits. When you find something that works for you, an outfit formula of sorts, or a fashion recipe, you can cook and eat with it. I sort of shared another outfit in this post, as I also posed in a black top and a denim skirt, but I'm not counting them one as I haven't taken full shots of it.
I just realized that my last outfit post was also dominated by dark colours. For someone who loves colour as much as I do, that is somewhat unusual. Well, sometimes we just go dark. Paint it Black and all that. That makes me remember. I actually once had my eight grade students analyse Paint it Black by Rolling Stones for our Reading class and they actually were spot on in their analysis.
These days I don't blog as often as I used to. Maybe I need a Time-Bird!
What would you do with a time bird if you had it?
Thank you for stopping by.
3) The Rige
Hello, Ivana! I think these both books are excellent!
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